Re: Ask Archie Bunker about gambling or Las Vegas

Originally Posted by shermanoaksyo

Archie, how do you feel about Downtown? I stayed at the brand new Downtown Grand earlier this year and got a nice 4-star room for like $40.

I keep going back to the Fremont St rooms. They are significantly less expensive, and I like gambling down there. I also like spending time on the strip though. If I remember correctly, it's a $20 cab ride? I read the reviews for Downtown Grand, the biggest problem people had was the noise from the streets. I don't typically go to Vegas to sleep, so that isn't an issue for me.

Re: Ask Archie Bunker about gambling or Las Vegas

I am going to be staying at The D on Fremont Street over Memorial weekend for the Punk Rock Bowling festival. It's the newly renovated version of The Fitzgerald. it was only $300 after resort fees for 4 nights during Memorial Day weekend, which is dirt cheap. Will report back.

Re: Ask Archie Bunker about gambling or Las Vegas

I stayed at The D this past February and enjoyed my visit. Room prices are great and the rooms are renovated but nothing fancy. I like the location and they work just fine if you plan to use it mostly to get rest. We took the public bus to the strip which is $9 dollars for 24hrs and it is literally right outside The D and it drops you off in front of the Bellagio. In the 2nd floor of The D they have mostly vintage casino games you can still use coins to play. Really great eating/coffee options walking distance. Le Thai was a great Thai noodle lunch option and less crowded than during the evenings. The Beauty Bar & Commonwealth are really close as well. If you can find the number to the speakeasy joint inside the Commonwealth (The Laundry Room) get a reservation immediately and enjoy the best drinks/elixirs I have had in Vegas. I believe it only seats a little over 20 people and it is reservation only.

Re: Ask Archie Bunker about gambling or Las Vegas

mrs riko and I are going to Vegas in July for her birthday. We're staying during the week, and it's July, so hotel rates are really good. A lot of the nicer places are $150 or less per night.

Anyone have thoughts on THEhotel at Mandalay Bay vs Bellagio vs Cosmopolitan? We want a nice pool but don't want the club scene stuff. The suites at THEhotel look cool -- they're huge, with two bathrooms and a separate living room. Any downsides to staying there?

Never been the THEhotel, but it's a very different scene than the Cosmo.

The Cosmo is a nice and trendy place, but it's also overrun with young douchebags and girls in really tight, short dresses.

If you like staring at hot chicks, Cosmo is the best place to go, but THEhotel might be a nicer experience with your wife for her birthday.

The Cosmo does have a better location. THEhotel is way south, and you will need to drive or take cabs everywhere.

Re: Ask Archie Bunker about gambling or Las Vegas

Originally Posted by locachica73

I am going to Vegas in a month, I wish I could afford a room at cosmo. The place is gorgeous!

I don't spend a lot of time in my room, so I usually look for something more reasonably priced since I basically just store my bags there. I have been combing over all the travel websites though, and I made the mistake of reading reviews. Now I am scared... I have narrowed it down to The Riviera, Stratosphere, Ballys and LVH... Which would be less scary?

Bally's, no question.

Have you looked at Harrah's and Flamingo? Those are also owned by Caesar's (like Bally's), and are frequently also reasonably priced (and both have a great center-strip locaiton).

Stratosphere is a DUMP and is in a horrible neighborhood. AVOID!

LVH is an okay hotel, but is off the beaten path, and you won't be able to walk anywhere except Riviera and Circus Circus.

Re: Ask Archie Bunker about gambling or Las Vegas

mrs riko and I are going to Vegas in July for her birthday. We're staying during the week, and it's July, so hotel rates are really good. A lot of the nicer places are $150 or less per night.

Anyone have thoughts on THEhotel at Mandalay Bay vs Bellagio vs Cosmopolitan? We want a nice pool but don't want the club scene stuff. The suites at THEhotel look cool -- they're huge, with two bathrooms and a separate living room. Any downsides to staying there?

I know I'm 2 weeks behind on responding here, but I would give THEhotel a pass at this time. The place had been a go-to spot for my family 5 years baco or so. It has become pretty threadbare in spots (so we don't stay there anymore), and I think I read somewhere that Mandalay is starting to rehab the place. I'd wait until that was done before booking there again.

Re: Ask Archie Bunker about gambling or Las Vegas

I have lost to 7s so often lately, from now on if a 7 flops I might fold. Pocket kings and queens lose to 7 bullshit. Ugh.

Depending upon stack sizes, you can sometimes get away from the overpair of QQ or KK when a player goes all-in. This is especially true if the board is "dry" (that is, has few draws).

So if you have KK and the flop is T62 rainbow, you can often fold your KK to an all-in, because you know there's a good chance they have a set and you're crushed.

However, if the board is T94 with two spades, it's harder to lay down the KK, as there's all kinds of draws out there.

Of course, if your stack isn't very big compared to the blinds, you are stuck calling anyway and just hoping to see you're up against a weaker hand.

Also, be careful to reraise enough to charge hands like 77 preflop enough money to where it's incorrect for them to call. Don't try to slowplay your big pairs before the flop, because then you get burned.

Also, never limp with AA, as that will allow the blinds to come in cheaply with literally any two cards, and it becomes very hard to read what they have.

The ideal situation for your big pairs is to get all of the money in preflop versus a lower pair, and then dodge the 20% chance you will lose.

Re: Ask Archie Bunker about gambling or Las Vegas

Here is a story from the 2011 WSOP Main Event, where I came close to cashing but unfortunately didn't.

On Day 2, I had QQ. A very straightforward, clearly amateur woman in her 40s cold-called my raise preflop, as did one of the blinds.

Flop came J93 with 2 diamonds.

I bet, the woman went all in, and the other guy folded.

Her stack wasn't that big, but by no means was it desperately small.

If it was a better/more aggressive player, I would have had to call, knowing that there were big draws out there. However, knowing she was an amateur and not aggressive, I decided she very likely had 99 or 33, especially because she cold-called my raise preflop. While something like QdTd was also possible, I decided to fold, as I would actually be an underdog to such a hand anyway.

She told me after the day was over that she had 33, so I totally made the right move, and it was all because of the player who had raised me. Had the young kid in the blinds done the same, I would have had to call.

Re: Ask Archie Bunker about gambling or Las Vegas

In all three cases we were one out from the cash and it was me going all in. One hand I had AK suited, went all in against pocket 7s and he called, I hit an A and he hit a third 7, I can't be mad at that. Pocket kings against A7 off suit was a harder pill to swallow, he hit a set of 7s. Sunday this guy that talks shit about every hand I play (he doesn't like that I chair dance at the table and "luck into hands") he called my all in with 79 off suit and hits a set of 7s. Blinds were 500/1000 and I went all in with 3500, he wasn't in the blinds. Stupid 7s.

Re: Ask Archie Bunker about gambling or Las Vegas

I am very excited about my trip this weekend! hanging out primarily downtown for the Punk Rock Bowling festival, but we're gonna be there Friday night-Tuesday and the festival is primarily like 4pm-11pm Saturday-Monday, so we are going to have time to do a lot of other things. I just made reservations for dinner at Joe Vicari's Andiamo Steakhouse at the D for Friday night - i gotta have at least one fancy dinner when in Vegas and it looks great.

I was also reading that eat. downtown is awesome for brunch - has anyone been?

Re: Ask Archie Bunker about gambling or Las Vegas

I would like to report that Andiamo was in fact amazing! The only turn-off for anybody would be the price, but if you are prepared for a fancy dinner, this really was an incredible experience. It really feels like an old-fashioned steakhouse. The decor and ambience is really intimate and pretty, and the service is absolutely off the charts. The food was perfect, and the portions were much bigger than I expected. We had the Caesar salad, made right at the table, and it was fabulous. I had the lamb chops and Heather had Chilean sea bass and we split garlic whipped potatoes. neither of us could finish our meal. We also had some great wine.

Re: Ask Archie Bunker about gambling or Las Vegas

I love Tom Colicchio, depending on how we do on the tables I might have to check that out. The best restaurant I have been to in Vegas was Musashi Japanese Steakhouse, it's suppose to have the best Teppanyaki in Vegas but when we went we couldn't get a table by one of the grills so we settled for the sushi. It was damn good sushi though. I have had a lot of great sushi in Vegas, but haven't checked out a good steak/seafood place yet. We did hit up the Rio seafood buffet that everyone raves about... and got food poisoning.